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the experience of reading in Britain, from 1450 to 1945...

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Record Number: 20404


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

[Signature] R.L.H. Stevenson 'You don’t know what H. means, ha? I have been reading Nym; and that’s the humour of it.'

Century:

1850-1899

Date:

Until: 8 Jun 1875

Country:

Probably Scotland.

Time

n/a

Place:

city: Edinburgh
county: Lothian

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown


Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Robert Louis Stevenson

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

13 Nov 1850

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

writer

Religion:

lapsed presbyterian

Country of Origin:

Scotland.

Country of Experience:

Probably Scotland.

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

William Shakespeare

Title:

Henry V

Genre:

Drama

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

Printed 1600; the edition RLS refers to is not indicated.

Provenance

unknown


Source Information:

Record ID:

20404

Source:

Print

Author:

Robert Louis s

Editor:

Bradford A. Booth

Title:

The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson, April 1874-July 1879

Place of Publication:

New Haven and London

Date of Publication:

1994

Vol:

2

Page:

143

Additional Comments:

Letter 395, To Sidney Colvin, [7 or 8 June 1875], Swanston. Co-editor Ernest Mehew, The date in square brackets has been added by the editors.

Citation:

Robert Louis s, Bradford A. Booth (ed.), The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson, April 1874-July 1879 (New Haven and London, 1994), 2, p. 143, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/RED/record_details.php?id=20404, accessed: 28 March 2024


Additional Comments:

In Shakespeare’s Henry V, Corporal Nym, one of Falstaff’s followers, uses the phrase “that is/that’s the humour of it”, or words very similar, 4 times in Act II, i; and once again in II, iii and III, ii. The Editors’ Note 2 on p.143 reads: “Nym uses the phrase several times in HenryV, II, i. RLS seems to mean he is adding the H. because it is his fancy to do so.”

   
   
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